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Recognition Award Categories

Distinguished Member Award

The Distinguished Member Award is CHIA’s highest award. The purpose of this award is to honor an Active Member of CHIA who has shown exemplary leadership within our organization and has made outstanding contributions to the profession and the professional association.

To be eligible to receive the Distinguished Member Award, candidates must have made continuing outstanding contributions to the profession in more than one of the following:

A. Exemplary Services to the Association.
B. Outstanding achievement in professional practice.
C. Leadership in education.
D. Contributions in research or published materials.

Criteria used for the Distinguished Member Award include the following:

Exemplary volunteer service at the CHIA or CLA level as an officer, director, committee, task force chair or member, or representative of the HIM field at government hearings for CHIA.

CHIA participation as President, Director, Committee Chair/member or Special Ap¬pointee.

HIM Professionals who exemplify unusual vision and leadership in understanding HIM philosophy

Development or refinement of professional theory and/or techniques in specialty area.

Dissemination of knowledge of practice through consultation to others in the field. recognized resource person in a specialty area.

Significant original research or authorship, editing, or service on editorial board for journals, books, monographs, and other publications that advances the HIM profession.

Regular presenter at HIM at local or state workshops, meetings, seminars or conferences.

Educator Award

The Educator Award is for excellence in training new HIM professionals. The Health Information Management field depends on a continual influx of well-trained new talent. The Educator Award honors those who demonstrate excellence in preparing the next generation of professionals for HIM careers. Those who qualify include:

Instructors who teach in a formal health information administration or health information technology program that grants associate, baccalaureate, or master’s degree, and who:

Exemplifies excellence in teaching

Develops and implements creative teaching tools and methods

Demonstrates high standards of excellence and high expectations of students

Instructor has impact as a role model

Shows commitment to student mentoring in the classroom and beyond

Has provided outstanding contributions in the research base of the HIM field

Literary Award

The candidates must be active members of CHIA and the author, co-author, editor or co-editor of published material that meets the selection criteria:

A. Published materials must be available to the health information profession through publication in a recognized professional journal, recognized professional association, or recognized publisher.
B. Published material must be a book or book chapter, journal article, monograph or instruc¬tional guide.
C. Materials other than books must be published within two years of the time of nomination.
D. Material must make a significant contribution to the health information/information use or management as it relates to any aspect of the health care delivery system in one or more of the following:

Criteria used for the Literary Award include:

Presents new concepts.

Presents an expansion, further development or revision of old concepts.

Presents practical ideas and information on a current area of health information practice.

HIM Industry Champion Award

This award recognizes those individuals who have worked tirelessly to support the HIM profession by advancing CHIA’s leadership position. Nominees need not be CHIA members; they may be individuals or organizations that worked for CHIA on a contractual basis. Documentation of the nominee’s support of CHIA must be submitted. Examples of commendable services include:

Advancing legislative initiatives that promote the interests of the HIM profession

Serving the needs of CHIA members through advocacy of patient’s rights and confidentiality; educating the public on health information; or support and promotion of professional practice standards

Significant financial support of key CHIA initiatives through sponsorship of special programs, scholarships, or grants

Rising Star Award

The Rising Star Award recognizes and encourages the best of the fresh new talent being trained in health information administration or health information technology degree granting-program. It honors a gifted student or promising new professional who embodies great hope as we look to the future of the HIM profession.

Qualified CHIA members who are a) students enrolled at the time of nomination in an approved HIA or HIT degree program, or who have graduated in the last three months; or b) HIM professionals who have been credentialed within the last seven years. Nominees must demonstrate significant potential for future leadership, innovation, creativity, and administrative capacity.

Potential sources for nominees include the following: AHIMA ACE members, State and Component Local Association Leaders, AHIMA Fellows, and other HIM professionals who have distinguished themselves as leaders.

Nomination criteria for the Rising Star Award include the following:

Willingness to change tradition, take risks, think critically and to lead others in these processes

Exceptional problem-solving ability with the capacity to envision the “big picture” in health information management and to make decisions accordingly

Demonstrates excellence in the management of personnel, finances, or information systems

Demonstrates commitment to the HIM profession through active participation in local, state, and national AHIMA activities-especially those that promote HIM education